


Finding Something that is Enough

by Kechk



Series: The Goblin and the Grim Reaper [1]
Category: Korean Drama, 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 - 도깨비 | Goblin (TV)
Genre: Bromance, Feelings, Gen, M/M, Pettiness, Romance, Slash, This is my first go at this, drunk conversations, mentions of groceries, not ep 13 compliant tho, nothing naughty just a kiss, obviously, post ep 13, slow burn?, some alcohol, stupid dorks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 10:45:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9487778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kechk/pseuds/Kechk
Summary: Summary: Their first relationships were fairy tales with bad endings. It wasn’t strange for them to come together after that.Kim Shin and Wang Yeo and second attempts.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A/N Largely inspired by xyChaoticFox’s fic, We’re not Friends, which was an adorable fic that made me so happy I decided to break my usual mold. Go read it! I’m usually not one for romance but hahaha these babies. On another note, I doodled the Yeo (my angsty son). Check it out on kechk .tumblr. com 
> 
> I’m writing this on Chinese New Year Eve, amongst relatives who would most definitely not approve. What a time to be alive.

Here they were again, two men, both with relationships that had soured, with beer chilled to exactly 7°C.

“And then she’d said that we wouldn’t work out because of it. Ha. Ha. Ha…” Kim Shin took another chug of beer, his face warm from the alcohol. 

He twisted in his seat, the drunken, sad smile slipping from his face.

“And you know what else? I found out my best friend was my king 900 years ago? Like, how messed up is that? He killed me and everyone else I cared about.” He chuckled darkly.

“Mm, sorry.” The Grim Reaper was dressed in disheveled pajamas, a far cry from his usual prim and proper attire.

“You look a lot like him, ya know, my best friend.” Shin squinted with unfocused eyes. 

“Mhmmm.” Yeo had lots of reasons to drink into oblivion. Plenty. One of them was the man who was currently tilting sideways toward him.

“Heyyyy, I’m not your best friend.” He’d caught Shin in his arms, barely in time before he tipped over and fell. 

“Mm, you smell nicer.”

“You know your best friend’s smell?” Yeo looked down and began patting the goblin’s head like a cat in his lap. 

“I once took one of his dirty clothes to hide my butt from my ex.”

“Why’d you need to hide?”

“Dunno, just felt awkward.”

“Aw, that’s sad. I wish I wasn’t awkward around my ex.”

Shin removed his face from Yeo’s lap, returning to his seat. 

“Why would she leave you? You’re nice.” His face was scrunched with disbelief.

“I’m really not. I did bad things last time, bad bad bad things.” He sniffed. Ah, he was a teary drunk.

“Don’t cry.” Shin moved forward to wipe the tears with his fingers, swiping his hands all over Yeo’s face.

“Mm, you’re so cold. Do you need a blankie?”

“They don’t help much…”

“Aww, that’s okay. My best friend is awesome at laundry. My blanket is so soft… Come on.” Shin pulled the reaper out of his seat and put his arms around Yeo’s shoulders. Yeo snaked both his own around the goblin’s torso, hugging him like a sloth.

“You’re so warm.”

“Let’s go!!!” Shin grinned like an idiot before the two made their way to Shin’s bedroom.

“Ooh, it is really soft.”

“Don’t drool on it though, my best friend will get mad.” Shin mumbled into the reaper’s soft hair. Yeo rested his head unto the nape of Shin’s neck, still cuddling his torso. 

“Okayyyyy…” He breathed in the other man’s scent. It smelled like the various spices and herbs used to season meat. He was okay with that.

With the two cuddled on the soft bed, it was the beginning of something new.

  
  


* * *

 

 

When Shin came to, he’d found his limbs comfortably criss-crossed with someone else’s long, slender ones. There was a weight on his chest, it had black and curly hair.

_ Wait, what?! _

He yelped and crashed onto the floor in an undignified heap of pillows and blankets. Somehow, Yeo remained, still curled up on bed, shivering slightly now.

“Mmmh, cold…” Yeo’s sleeping form curled tighter but it helped little to keep the chill away. 

Unsteadily, Shin stood. On his bed was a vulnerable looking Wang Yeo. His long, lanky form curled up as if the world was pressing down on his existence. 

Head pounding from the hangover, he pulled the blanket on top of the reaper and laid beside him with more effort than was necessary. He’d deal with this  _ later _ . 

The bed felt less lonely. 

 

* * *

 

When Yeo had gotten his memories back, the fallout was as expected,  _ terrible. _

That night, the grim reaper had fallen asleep on the steps to the house, afraid to enter but with nowhere to go.  

Shin had walked all the way home from his sister’s restaurant because a demonic, powerful, homicidal ghost was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

“What are you doing there? Are you crazy? It’s freezing out here.”

With surprise and fear on his features, the reaper stuttered. 

“I- I don’t have anywhere else to stay.”  _ And I didn’t think you’d welcome me back  _ was unsaid but heard anyway.

The goblin’s nose twitched. 

“Tomorrow. Tomorrow I kick you skinny ass out. Now back into your room and stay there until then. If you come out, any time before that…”

The reaper gulped, his red-rimmed puppy eyes on the goblin. 

A sigh. “Tomorrow. I need some alcohol.”

They went in and a bottle of soju became two.   
  


* * *

 

 

“What the fuck!” Shin cursed pushing the other forcefully out of bed. Yeo woke up with a painful yelp of shock and in an undignified heap.

“What were you doing in my  _ fucking  _ bed?” 

Yeo rubbed his tear swollen eyes before squinting at the goblin. Realisation was slow to come.

When it did, his pupils dilated, his eye brows raised as far as they could. He froze like a deer in headlights.

“Sorry oh my god I’m so sorry oh my god oh my god what the fuck”  _ Oh my god oh my god _

Shin scowled. “Shut up! I can hear you! I have enough of a headache already!” he yelled before he stomped off into the kitchen for something to help with the hangover.

Yeo’s jaws promptly shut with a loud click.   
  


* * *

 

 

When he’d finally mustered the courage to run for his room, Yeo’s head was a  _ cacophony _ of feelings.

It was a mixture of surprise, fear, relief, dread and  _ oh my god what did we do last night. _

A pressing question is his mind was  _ why  _ had the goblin let him in at all? He was Wang Yeo-

_ Murderer, traitor, sinner- _

_ Cowardly puppet king. _

He sighed. Why were things so complicated now?   
  


 

* * *

Shin was at the kitchen, nursing some warm water. 

_ What the fuck was I thinking. _

He'd shared a bed with the one person who'd been the cause of all his problems. 

He was angry but it was tiring to hold onto hatred for so long. 

It was still difficult to come to terms with finding your friend to be your previous master.

_ Who'd sentenced you, your sister, your troops, your family to die. _

God, what was he thinking last night. 

It had been nice and warm and not  _ lonely. His  _ weight was a comfort. 

Oh no way was he going to think about  _ Wang Yeo  _ like that. Absolutely not. Not with a  _ telepathic  _ connection.

What was Wang Yeo doing anyway. He had a hangover, didn't mean he was deaf. He'd heard the reaper run to his room. 

_ Wait, run? _

Why would he _need_ to? He could teleport.

Whatever, he didn't need to get involved with his identity  _ crisis.  _ He had enough in his plate already, thank you very much. 

He tried to ignore the torrent of thoughts coming from Yeo in the shower-

_ God I'm a disaster I can't even punish myself right I killed them I killed her I killed him  _

_ No no no he made me do it but you let him you were weak and foolish and blind  _

_ I should leave you don't deserve his kindness you don't belong here not anymore never have- _

Shin sent a loud yell-

“Shut up! I can hear you! You can stay, just keep quiet!”

The house fell silent.  
  


* * *

 

 

As the days passed, Shin continued ignoring the existence of the other inhabitant. 

He'd decided to agonise on finding some way to keep both Eun Tak and his sister out of the ghostly eunuch’s grasp.

It hurt, that there was a gap between him and them. Eun Tak, because she couldn't take anymore of the supernatural, Kim Sun because she just wasn't his sister anymore. She was a different person, she had a life outside of his.

He still wouldn't let any harm befall them though, it'd been his fault after all. He'd killed the man unapologetically just after being turned into a goblin.

He'd learned later that it was right after Wang Yeo's suicide.

A rush of rage, frustration and disappointment overcame him.

_ You should have lived long enough for me to drive a sword through your belly. My sister protected you and you threw away your life like it was worth nothing. _

He knew Yeo could hear him upstairs. He almost missed his reply.

_ It wasn't your fault, it's mine I'm- no apology will be enough god you wretched man you weren't good enough for anything not for your father your wife your people- _

“Agh! Shut up!”

_ Sorry I'm sorry it's my fault my fault my fault not yours not yours but I wanted to make father happy when he was mad he was scary but you knew he didn't care about you he was using you you weakling you didn't have the- _

By the time Yeo realised his thoughts were running at the speed of a train and _still_ broadcasting, Shin had stormed into his room and slammed open the door.

The scene was like a twisted parody of the Goblin's past invasions of his privacy.

“For  _ fucks  _ sake, shut up! Okay?! Park Joong Heon was a fucking snake! You were raised by him and you didn't know any better! We- we should have realised sooner what he was doing.”

Shin sobered and looked at the mess in the once disgustingly neat room. In the center was the reaper with scruffy hair, a clammy pale face and eye bags so thick Shin thought he was about to head to the  _ airport _ .

“That's… that's not really funny.”

Shin rolled his eyes.

“You're one to talk,  _ Edward Cullen.” _

“Edward  _ who _ ?”

“You know, the sparkly vampire from the movie Twilight.”

“Twilight. You’re making jokes with Twilight. You watch that stuff?”

At this, Shin felt his face heat up. “At least I’m not a Korean drama addict!”

“You cried into my shoulder when we finished the last one. We argued for an hour about the main lead's choices.”

“I was… trying… to find out how what sort of stuff Eun Tak would like.”

“Oh.”

The banter was fun and easy but anything else? 

Talking is _ hard. _

“I… er, I’ll clean this up soon.” Yeo waved an arm at the mess around him. 

“Yeah, you’d better.” That was a pathetic warning if he ever heard one.

Yeo made to stand and pick up the paper scattered all over the floor only to fall on his back with confusion and surprise. A second try and he was up but wobbling like a leaf.

“When was… when was the last time you had something to eat? To drink?”

Yeo had the nerve to stay quiet.

“Did you even leave this room?!”

_ Uh… No? _

“How in hell are you still standing?!” Shin took in the slight trembling of Yeo’s hands, the unfocused gaze, the sharpness of his features, more so than usual.

“ _ Fuck.” _

 

* * *

 

“You better finish that oatmeal.”

Yeo with a blanket as a hood sniffed as a bowl of warm oatmeal was put in front of him.

Shin made a move to sit opposite of him.

“Erm…What are you doing?”

“I’m not leaving until you finish that.” He sipped on the juice box Yeo usually hogged from the fridge.

“Ack, this stuff is gross. Why do you even buy it?”

The reaper pouted with a mouthful of oatmeal. 

“No it isn’t, you’re just being picky.”

“Says the person that takes out 50% of the stuff I put into the grocery carts.”

Yeo scowled. “You take frozen pizzas. With pineapples.”

“Spoken like a true vegetarian. Pineapples  _ belong  _ on pizzas.”

“At least I have a balanced nutrition. You’re practically carnivorous.”

“Yeah right. At least I don’t starve myself.”

_ Ouch.  _

Shin pretended to not see Yeo’s flinch. 

“What were you trying to do anyway? It’s not like we can die of starvation.”

Yeo knew the weight of the statement. 900 years was a lot of time for all sorts of things, experimenting on your immortal, superhuman body was one of those things. 

“I was afraid you’d kick me out at the sight of me.” He said sheepishly. He was fully understanding that no one wouldn't want their actions committed in a dark period brought out into the light. He'd been there after all. 

_You're not alone Shin, I understand what years can do to a person._ It was the best comfort he could given in the moment. 

“I already told you you could stay. Damnit. Now I’m the culprit.” He grumbled before sucking the empty juice box. Shin sent him his feelings of warmth and gratitude. It was a relief to have someone like him. 

When they next went grocery shopping, he was definitely going to remove them from the cart.

 

* * *

  
  


Park Joong Heon was the official  _ asshole  _ of the  _ century.  _

Shin thought to himself how the bastard had the nerve to stay on the mortal plane like the creep he was. He brought his sword down at the phantasm in a streak of blue flames.

He also didn’t like the expression he put on Yeo when he’d spoken to him. His flatmate just reeked of sheer terror.

He couldn’t rid the world of the  _ snake  _ without him though.

“ _ Park Joong Heon! Missing soul! Answer my call!”  _

The ghost’s shriek was a disturbing but strangely pleasing sound in his ears.  
  


 

* * *

 

 

Fortunately the battle ended with little drama. Unfortunately the battle was with Yeo’s parental figure.

That left an emotionally constipated reaper having beer with Shin.

“He was… the only one I had when I was a kid. Sorry.” Yeo was a sniffling mess. He was like that often.

“Mmm.” Shin rubbed comforting circles onto his back.

A hiccup. “At least now…” He looked at Shin with eyes that were surprisingly alert.

Shin grinned sardonically. “Now, you’re stuck with me! The useless, pathetic goblin who can’t do anything for the people he loves-”

Yeo shut him up with a kiss.

 

* * *

 

 

Things were weird and awkward and certainly not completely alright, but at least they had each other. 

And that, for them, was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm new at writing romantic shippy fics. I also have eh writing skills. I think I'll stick to drawing hahaha who wants some shippy doodles, i certainly do.
> 
> I wasn't sure where exactly I was going with this, it was written in a single seating amidst changing tabs to hide from my relatives. Celebrating Chinese New Year here.
> 
> I hope this spawns more Shin/Yeo fans (pls i need more) or makes your day!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
